Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- earnest
- claustrophobic
- historical drama night
- political thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the fact-based jailbreak gripping but underdeveloped as a deeper historical and political drama.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee must engineer and execute their prison escape under constant surveillance and the threat of discovery.
The protagonists are imprisoned as political activists within South Africa's apartheid system.
The escape depends on carefully developing and applying physical methods to overcome prison security.
The plot is grounded in political activism, ANC affiliation, and opposition to apartheid-era racism.
Films like Escape from Pretoria, and why
Cry Freedom
shares fact-based political imprisonment, anti-apartheid themes, and tense prison-break mechanics
Papillon
shares historical political persecution, prison confinement, and determined escape plotting
The Great Escape
shares real-life prison-break suspense, procedural ingenuity, and escalating deadline tension
Invictus
shares apartheid-era political struggle, racial injustice, and morally urgent historical drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Francis Annan
- Release Date
- 2020-03-06
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (1543)
Cast
- Daniel Radcliffe
- Daniel Webber
- Ian Hart
- Mark Leonard Winter
- Nathan Page
- Grant Piro
- Len Firth
- Lliam Amor
- Adam Tuominen
- PJ Oaten
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Escape from Pretoria about?
- Political prisoners in apartheid-era South Africa risk everything on an ingenious escape from Pretoria's most secure prison.
- What is Escape from Pretoria like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Escape from Pretoria as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Escape from Pretoria violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Escape from Pretoria as mild.
- What did critics think of Escape from Pretoria?
- Critics broadly found the fact-based jailbreak gripping but underdeveloped as a deeper historical and political drama.
- Which films are like Escape from Pretoria?
- Films with a similar feel include Cry Freedom, Papillon, The Great Escape, and Invictus.
- How long is Escape from Pretoria?
- Escape from Pretoria runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Escape from Pretoria?
- In United States, Escape from Pretoria streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel.
